Scarlett Johansson Signs Up To Lead Ghost In The Shell

Lutga said:
If Edge of Tomorrow showed that this stuff can 'sort of' work, then I see no reason why we can't see a few other Japanese inspired properties in the West over the next few years - but yeah, GITS has all the cards stacked against it; as much as I would like to see it happen, simply for the mainstream media interest it'd prompt in the original.
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The thing is, Edge of Tomorrow has a lot of credibility. Big stars, a name director in Doug Liman, and EXCELLENT production values. It also feels very anime in its execution at times, but in such a way as to not challenge resistant members of the audience who might wrinkle up their noses and go 'Ugh, no, I'm not watching it if it's based on weirdo Japanese crap'.

Just process this: Emily Blunt wears a robot exoskeleton and slaughters aliens with half helicopter blade, which she wields like a sword. You don't get much more 'anime' than that!

The kicker is, unless the Dreamworks GITS really IS a decent iteration of the franchise (and I admit, its possible they'll pull that off - not likely, but posssible) there isn't likely to be much of a renewal of interest in the source material. In much the same way that movies based on popular comic properties don't necessarily equate to boosts in comic sales. It DOES happen (2000AD is reportedly still riding on improved sales snce the 2012 Dredd movie) but it's pretty unpredictable.

The OTHER kicker is that, if Dreamworks GITS comes to pass and it sucks harder than a Henry hoover on hi-strength, there'll almosst reliably be NOTHING by way of buzz for the manga or anime. There are no second prizes where this stuff's concerned.

Yeah, I have a lot to say on this subject. And yeah, it's mostly negative stuff, I know. But, really,it's born of frustration. I'd love it if we could get ONE really good movie with a firm link to an anime property. Can you imagine how great that could be, potentially? Imagine a blockbuster based on a popular show that really caught on, and maybe fired the public with a new interest in Japanese animation. That could do a LOT of good for the international market.
 
I liked the film, but nothing about Edge of Tomorrow struck me as especially anime-esque, to be honest. Certainly not in the way that Pacific Rim was.

Despite considering myself reasonably cine-literate, I've also never heard of Doug Liman, but I'm just being pedantic now...
 
I would of prefered an asian actress but meh, chances of this happening are still far too slim for me to worry.

Ron perlman as Togusa would be cool if they do turn it into an american division,
 
Professor Irony said:
I liked the film, but nothing about Edge of Tomorrow struck me as especially anime-esque, to be honest. Certainly not in the way that Pacific Rim was.

Despite considering myself reasonably cine-literate, I've also never heard of Doug Liman, but I'm just being pedantic now...
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Doug Liman is the guy behind the Jason Bourne movies.

The thing with Edge of Tomorrow is, it's precisely the fact that it doesn't smack the audience in the face and say 'LOOK! I'M LIVE ACTION ANIME!' that makes it more palatable to folks who perhaps don't care for Japanese cartoons.

As for my point about the execution, it's not really all about having the outright, openly visible trappings of anime on display. That would be funny - imagine if, in that movie, every time Tom Cruise woke up to start the day again, it was with a cold sweat and rapidly wobbling eyes. Or if, in the farmhouse, Emily Blunt stared down at her coffee worshipfully, took a sip and proclaimed 'Aaaah! Its good!' :p

It's more a case, with Edge of Tomorrow, that some very standard values of Japanese entertainment (especially their science fiction) are in place, there. Pilot controlled robots? Check! Mankind faced with a formidable enemy which forces them to unite / an extinction level catastrophe? Check. Broad cast of colourful side characters? The jacket squadron fulfill that requirement. As does Bill Paxton's character, to a large degree.

I think it ABSOLUTELY trades on some classic tropes of anime and manga. The whole thing I mention with Emily Blunt and her helicopter blade is the most overt cue I can think of, but the other stuff is there. It's just handled in such a way as to suck you in so you go along with it.
 
Dan said:
Also didn't Keanu Reeves buy the rights to make a Cowboy Bebop movie years ago. No sight of that.
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Whoa whoa, hold the phone! A Keanu Bebop movie? I'm telling you right now, that would be a slice of heaven. He'd make a great Kaneda, but he'd make an even better Bebop movie :thumb:
 
Also, it'd be remiss not to mention it hear - but does anyone remember Sucker Punch from a few years ago? The Zac Snyder film. If that wasn't the closest to a live action girls-with-guns anime flick we'll ever get in the west, then I don't know what is.
 
If I remember correctly, didn't Sunrise say that they wouldn't allow for Cowboy Bebop to be made unless they were satisfied with the script? Also, I remember hearing that the (then-)latest draft would have needed a much higher budget than the execs were willing to allocate.
 
Joshawott said:
If I remember correctly, didn't Sunrise say that they wouldn't allow for Cowboy Bebop to be made unless they were satisfied with the script? Also, I remember hearing that the (then-)latest draft would have needed a much higher budget than the execs were willing to allocate.
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I spoke to Steve Blum about this at the Auto Assembly convention in 2013. In fact, there was a whole interview which I was hoping would appear on AUKN and in print overseas - he's just so busy, we could never secure approval to publish.

Now, okay, Steve isn't necessarily the be-and-end-all source of informtion on this, but from the discussion, it arose that the script wasn't an issue, and was well thought of by the movie execs... but the estimated budget put it in summer movie sure-fire hit and return territory as far as costs go.

Personally, that kind of baffles me. I mean, Bebop's characters are the show's biggest draw. But I guess the studio sees spaceship battles and crazy set pieces and that's enough for them to get cold feet.

I have no idea how reliable this is, but an unconnected scrap of info I've heard is that studios are wary of 'spaceship themed' sci-fi since Serenity, which was reportedly a poor box office performer. The real issue is that apparently that was made for a comparatively modest budget as these kind of movies go.

So, Hollywood being as money conscious as it is... I wouldn't hold out any hope of Bebop EVER making the jump to the silver screen in the west. There's also the isssue that Keanu is the guy with the clout behind that project, and he's considered to be borderline too old to do his own stunts now. So... yeah.
 
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